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Re: What Green Are You Drinking

Posted: Fri Feb 21, 2020 2:37 pm
by Vanenbw
Thanks, @nasalfrog. I can certainly try brewing it in my gaiwan as well. I really enjoyed the taste of the tea when I used 5 grams to 160. I can try bumping up the amount of leaf a little to see what I can handle. It could just be my personal preference as well. Perhaps many would enjoy the bitterness of this tea. I like bitter teas, but this was a little too much for me. I couldn't even taste the sweet floral notes I detected the first time I tried it.

Re: What Green Are You Drinking

Posted: Fri Feb 21, 2020 4:20 pm
by Darbotek
Wife and daughter are out and about, so I had a nice quiet tea session. Just me and the squirrels in the attic. Enjoying a lovely session of O-Cha Organic Sae Midori Kabusecha. I don't take a super scientific approach with my brewing and tasting notes. 8 grams for roughly 160 ml, I bounce around between 156-176f. My tasting notes: mighty tasty with a little lingering astringency at the back of the tongue.

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Re: What Green Are You Drinking

Posted: Fri Feb 21, 2020 4:49 pm
by nasalfrog
Darbotek wrote:
Fri Feb 21, 2020 4:20 pm
...Enjoying a lovely session of O-Cha Organic Sae Midori Kabusecha...
I forgot I have a bag in my fridge stash... looking forward to revisiting it. It will be interesting to compare it to Birouen’s sae midori. Nice kyusu, btw.

Re: What Green Are You Drinking

Posted: Fri Feb 21, 2020 6:04 pm
by Vanenbw
Darbotek wrote:
Fri Feb 21, 2020 4:20 pm
Enjoying a lovely session of O-Cha Organic Sae Midori Kabusecha. I don't take a super scientific approach with my brewing and tasting notes. 8 grams for roughly 160 ml, I bounce around between 156-176f. My tasting notes: mighty tasty with a little lingering astringency at the back of the tongue.
I guess I'm a lightweight. I mostly brew my Japanese greens in my 160ml kyusu or my 160ml houhin, and I find that 5 grams of leaves for 160ml seems to be the sweet spot for me. Of course this can vary depending on the tea. I will continue to push it a little, driving up the leaf until the astringency becomes too much for me. Nice photograph, by the way. Since I gave up my Canon Rebel XS, I have forgotten how pleasing it is to look at high res photographs. Everything looks better with a good camera. You can take a closeup of a pea and it looks like a work of art.

Re: What Green Are You Drinking

Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2020 3:25 pm
by Darbotek
nasalfrog wrote:
Fri Feb 21, 2020 4:49 pm
I forgot I have a bag in my fridge stash... looking forward to revisiting it. It will be interesting to compare it to Birouen’s sae midori. Nice kyusu, btw.
I haven't been disappointed in a tea yet from O-Cha! Thank you, its my favorite kyusu. I'm minimizing my teaware and plan on this being my daily driver.

Vanenbw wrote:
Fri Feb 21, 2020 6:04 pm
I guess I'm a lightweight. I mostly brew my Japanese greens in my 160ml kyusu or my 160ml houhin, and I find that 5 grams of leaves for 160ml seems to be the sweet spot for me. Of course this can vary depending on the tea. I will continue to push it a little, driving up the leaf until the astringency becomes too much for me. Nice photograph, by the way. Since I gave up my Canon Rebel XS, I have forgotten how pleasing it is to look at high res photographs. Everything looks better with a good camera. You can take a closeup of a pea and it looks like a work of art.
I've just been playing around with other ratios, I'm liking 1.5g/30ml right now. That could change though!

No fancy camera here, just natural light and an iPhone!

Re: What Green Are You Drinking

Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2020 8:57 pm
by Vanenbw
Darbotek wrote:
Sat Feb 22, 2020 3:25 pm

I've just been playing around with other ratios, I'm liking 1.5g/30ml right now. That could change though!

No fancy camera here, just natural light and an iPhone!
Yes, there is always a lot of experimentation. What is the size of the kyusu in your photo?

Hunting for a Green Tea

Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2020 9:44 pm
by mjac
Hunting for a Green Tea:
I am looking for a Green Tea and I am new at this so I have some questions. I have been drinking two green tea brands from Walmart and at first they had a little flavor but lately they have been very bland and tasteless. I want to move on and find a Green Tea that is more satisfying. I want a full flavored, full bodied tea that is strong for everyday use, sometimes 2-4 cups a day, that is reasonably or moderately priced to get introduced to quality Green Tea. I believe I want to get a loose tea that I can cold brew over 24 hours using a diffuser. But I have some preliminary questions. I read you can brew loose tea, however you brew it, 2 even three times, is this true? What is Gun Powder Tea and what are Tea Pellets? But most of all what is a Brand that I would be satisfied with, the reviews are all over the place. Any suggestions would be welcome....Thanks,mjac

Re: Hunting for a Green Tea

Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2020 10:09 pm
by Victoria
mjac wrote:
Sat Feb 22, 2020 9:44 pm
Hunting for a Green Tea:
I am looking for a Green Tea and I am new at this so I have some questions. I have been drinking two green tea brands from Walmart and at first they had a little flavor but lately they have been very bland and tasteless. I want to move on and find a Green Tea that is more satisfying. I want a full flavored, full bodied tea that is strong for everyday use, sometimes 2-4 cups a day, that is reasonably or moderately priced to get introduced to quality Green Tea. I believe I want to get a loose tea that I can cold brew over 24 hours using a diffuser. But I have some preliminary questions. I read you can brew loose tea, however you brew it, 2 even three times, is this true? What is Gun Powder Tea and what are Tea Pellets? But most of all what is a Brand that I would be satisfied with, the reviews are all over the place. Any suggestions would be welcome....Thanks,mjac
Welcome to TeaForum. I see you are in the vicinity of New Orleans. If you can visit any local loose leaf tea stores in your area that would be a good place to start exploring different teas. In many tea shops in the US you can sample their teas. If you cannot sample teas, smelling the aroma of the various teas will help you narrow down selections. Since you enjoy ‘full flavor, full body, that is strong for everyday’ Gunpowder is actually a great starter choice. Most loose leaf teas are much higher grade than most teabag teas (although high grade teabag teas do exist that I enjoy). Lipton etc is the residual lowest grade particle dust that quickly extracts on first steep. Full leaf tea, takes longer to extract, so can be steeped several times. To get to know different Camilla Sinensis tea types, select teas which are not mixed with other herbs and fruits, also if possible explore different regional types like Japanese and Chinese greens.

Gunpowder tea is a rolled Chinese green tea. The pelts look like grains of gunpowder. I think I actual started with gunpowder tea early on, it is rich and strong.

Re: What Green Are You Drinking

Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2020 1:56 pm
by mjac
I had planned on doing that, visiting tea houses in New Orleans, but after checking the book there aren't any,to my surprise. There is one listing under "Tea" and it is in Metarie and I am not sure if it is just like a coffe house.

I think I want loose tea for the whole experience and I believe tea seeped in a "diffuser" seeps better then a tea bag and I can see the tea. I like to cold brew teas over a 24 hour or so period because I have found heat degrades tea and introduces bitterness. Is there a problem with that? So if full leaf tea can be seeped "several" times, I take that to mean at least 3, then even though you are buying a more expensive tea the costs even out. Is Gun Powder tea considered a full leaf tea? This is what has me confused, the nomenclature. You say Gun Powder tea is a rolled Chinese Green Tea and the Pelts look like grains of Gun Powder. Gun Powder is a powder. How do rolled Pelts look like a powder? All Gun Powder Teas are Chinese? I assume Camilla Seninsis is the category of Green Teas. I am not interested at all in herb, fruit or other infusions, I want to taste the Tea and judge its character based on that, no distractions. It would be interesting to compare teas from different regions with different preparation methods and see how it affects the Tea's character. Are there any particular greens that are known for their health benefits?

Something that is very big with me is value. It does not have to be the cheapest or the most sophisticated, but what offers the best value in quality for the money even if you had money to throw away, any suggestions? Now one tea that keeps coming up, I don't know anything about it and the reviews are all over the place as usual, is Davis Gunpowder Green Tea and a little step up Davis Imperial Gunpowder Green Tea. It is very economical but are we talking big box quality here and it is best to look elsewhere. If you have any suggestions I would like to hear them...Thanks, mjac

Re: What Green Are You Drinking

Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2020 3:41 pm
by faj
mjac wrote:
Sun Feb 23, 2020 1:56 pm
So if full leaf tea can be seeped "several" times, I take that to mean at least 3
This is very dependent on the tea, but also on the infusion method. Most people on the forum use mainly or exclusively loose leaf tea, and use an amount of leaf that can seem quite high at first for people who have been drinking tea in the ways it is commonly done in North America. Using the brewing techniques you will see referred to on this forum, it is common for people to infuse the leaves at least three times, and in some cases more than 10 times, depending, among other things, on the tea's type, quality, brewing method, and the tea drinker's preferences.
mjac wrote:
Sun Feb 23, 2020 1:56 pm
then even though you are buying a more expensive tea the costs even out.
In all honesty, reading this forum is not likely to save you money even if you increase the number of times you infuse your tea. It is easy to get into teas that will cost several dollars per session for the leaves (one session meaning a quantity of leaves you will infuse several times) for just one person. In the end it is likely to be less expensive than other drinks such as alcoholic beverages of comparable relative quality, but if you do that a few times a day, it adds up.
mjac wrote:
Sun Feb 23, 2020 1:56 pm
I assume Camilla Seninsis is the category of Green Teas.
Camellia Sinensis is the name of the plant used to produce any true tea (I know this might not be entirely true given @Tillerman's comments this, but it is true enough in this specific context). Green tea is one category ; what makes tea "green" is how it is processed.
mjac wrote:
Sun Feb 23, 2020 1:56 pm
Something that is very big with me is value [...], any suggestions?
You will see various teas and vendors being mentioned on this forum, mostly specialized vendors, many located overseas. You might want to take a look at their websites, this will start to give you an idea of the staggering variety that exists, even if you limit yourself to the general category of green teas. There is way too much variety to reduce all green teas on a "value" scale, and value is way too dependent on personal taste.

Re: What Green Are You Drinking

Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2020 5:21 pm
by Victoria
@mjac, piggybacking on @faj’s comments above, I’ll add that your best option to explore teas initially is a local loose leaf shop. If you search ‘tea shop’ on Yelp for greater New Orlean’s area map, quite a few possibilities pop up. Sometimes herb & spice stores, organic markets, co-op’s, Apothecarys, bigger markets like Whole Food’s also have loose leaf teas. Smaller shops may be able to recommend other local places. Otherwise, online you might try samples from these very approachable budget conscious vendors Adagio, and Harney & Son’s. I’m sure there are others quality affordable online vendors that members can recommend.

It is the end of the tea year, with Spring harvest soon approaching, so there are many green tea sales going on right now. Since you like darker fuller bodied greens you might start off with oxidized Chinese greens like Gunpowder, Jasmine pearl, Dragonwell, and green Darjeeling from India.

Re: What Green Are You Drinking

Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2020 10:32 pm
by Darbotek
Vanenbw wrote:
Sat Feb 22, 2020 8:57 pm
Yes, there is always a lot of experimentation. What is the size of the kyusu in your photo?
It is roughly 340ml and I'm finding it the perfect size for me. I typically brew from 50-160ml, but wanted the option to serve others and keep my collection small. Very small.

Re: What Green Are You Drinking

Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2020 1:15 pm
by Vanenbw
Darbotek wrote:
Sun Feb 23, 2020 10:32 pm
Vanenbw wrote:
Sat Feb 22, 2020 8:57 pm
Yes, there is always a lot of experimentation. What is the size of the kyusu in your photo?
It is roughly 340ml and I'm finding it the perfect size for me. I typically brew from 50-160ml, but wanted the option to serve others and keep my collection small. Very small.
Interesting, because my first kyusu pot is 360ml. That is all I was using for a few months, and then I purchased a 160ml kyusu, a 160ml houhin, and a 150ml gaiwan. I find I'm using the 160ml kyusu and houhin more than the other pots, but I think tonight I will return to the 360ml as I would like to have a larger cup of tea (around 280ml), which I'll drink from my 300ml arita-yaki cup.

Re: What Green Are You Drinking

Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2020 11:40 am
by Darbotek
Vanenbw wrote:
Mon Feb 24, 2020 1:15 pm

Interesting, because my first kyusu pot is 360ml. That is all I was using for a few months, and then I purchased a 160ml kyusu, a 160ml houhin, and a 150ml gaiwan. I find I'm using the 160ml kyusu and houhin more than the other pots, but I think tonight I will return to the 360ml as I would like to have a larger cup of tea (around 280ml), which I'll drink from my 300ml arita-yaki cup.
When I was into gong fu, I had rigid rules that everything had to be small. If it was more than 100ml, I wasn't interested. It was silly. With Japanese tea I've been much more loosey goosey with my tea ware choices. I haven't found having a large kyusu to be a hindrance at all. And my tea table is pretty small!

Re: What Green Are You Drinking

Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2020 11:55 am
by Vanenbw
Darbotek wrote:
Tue Feb 25, 2020 11:40 am
Vanenbw wrote:
Mon Feb 24, 2020 1:15 pm

Interesting, because my first kyusu pot is 360ml. That is all I was using for a few months, and then I purchased a 160ml kyusu, a 160ml houhin, and a 150ml gaiwan. I find I'm using the 160ml kyusu and houhin more than the other pots, but I think tonight I will return to the 360ml as I would like to have a larger cup of tea (around 280ml), which I'll drink from my 300ml arita-yaki cup.
When I was into gong fu, I had rigid rules that everything had to be small. If it was more than 100ml, I wasn't interested. It was silly. With Japanese tea I've been much more loosey goosey with my tea ware choices. I haven't found having a large kyusu to be a hindrance at all. And my tea table is pretty small!
I have a serving pitcher, a couple of small porcelain cups, and a 150ml gaiwan. That's the extent of my gong fu collection, if you want to call it that. I haven't tried the small sipping cups that seem to be so popular (30-60ml). I came from a background of drinking large cups of green tea (used to be in my Starbucks 12oz mug). I still often do drink out of a larger cup. I might just stack infusions to fill the cup, which these days is usually my 300ml Arita-yaki cup from O-cha.

I guess it depends on my mood whether I'm drinking out of a larger cup or my 150ml porcelain cups, which I understand for some is not considered small at all. I'm thinking about picking up a couple of 60-80ml cups, especially for gong fu and higher-end Japanese teas like gyokuro, which I have yet to try.